The German Enlightenment &
the teaching of business ethics
in China
Dr Robert Shaw
Graduate School of Business
Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
28 March 2013
6
Agenda
1. Business ethics as the development of skills
2. The skills of business ethics
3. Kant & the German Enlightenment
4. Kant & China
Abstract
7
Although he died over two-hundred years ago, the Prussian
philosopher Immanuel Kant is still pivotal in business ethics
courses globally. His works on ethics - tracts which consider
the moral imperative, universal laws, concepts of freedom,
moral autonomy, and the use of reason - are indelibly a part
of the foundations of modern Western ethics. Consequently,
students grapple with Kantian ideas and apply them to
business cases.
Kant was involved in the development of modern science and
he was the first to seriously address the relationship between
science and moral decision-making. The presentation argues
there is congruence between the German Enlightenment and
modern China which reflects in the ethical reasoning of Kant
and the people of China.
8
1. Business ethics as the
development of skills
9
Curriculum
What you teach
Confused thinking about
Knowledge / understanding / skills
Theory / practice
How you learn skills
10
Curriculum
What you teach
The nature of skills
Cognitive (thinking) skills
Rationality
11
2. The skills of business ethics
The theory of ethics (which you apply to business
situations)
Classical Greek theory
Aristotle’s theory (virtue ethics)
Deontology
Utilitarianism
12
Cognitive skills
Situation
Provides the cases &
issues
Theory
Western ethics
Chinese ethics
13
3. Kant & the
German Enlightenment
Deontology
Difficult for students
Some leading premises
The importance of the Will
Moral autonomy
(compare heteronomy)
The ethics of duty
14
Immanuel Kant
Born 1724
Died 1804
15
The German Enlightenment
1784
Rationality
Enlightened public
Freedom
16
Immanuel Kant
17
18
19
4. Kant & China
Community
Authority
Education system
Systems of employment
Thank you